Dieting Myth #2: Counting calories always works…

As discussed last week, we’re going through some myths regarding dieting and weight loss. These myths are taken from Dr. Mark Hyman’s new book

Ultra-Metabolism,

a great read if you are ready to make some serious dietary changes to focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods.

Myth #2: You can control your weight by counting calories.

Plenty of people can attest to the fact that keeping a food log and knowing how many calories you are consuming in a day can be a really effective way to lose weight or keep your diet on track. It does not hurt to know the nutritional content of your food, especially since most of us underestimate the amount of calories some of our favorite meals consist of. However, if you really want to get serious about your health and keeping your body energized, all calories are not equal. This is a crazy concept. Food that enters your blood stream quickly (such as sugar from soda, processed goodies such as twinkies, or anything that gives you that rush, only to let you down later) promotes weight gain, while food that enters slowly promotes weight loss. Your body has more of a chance to use the calories and sugars in the foods that enter slowly, so it burns more of them off. This concept is something that diabetics are familiar with, called the glycemic index of a food. The lower the glycemic index of a food, the better, because the body has more of a chance to use the food’s energy.

A practicing dentist since 1982, Dr. Gary Imm, provides advanced cosmetic dentistry, including smile makeovers, sedation, implant and TMJ services. He is committed to progressive, extraordinary care for his guests. All Smiles Dental Care trains at least 300 hours each year at such prestigious centers as the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dentistry. (LVI)